


Worth it

by Halevetica



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alghoul, Geralt is bad at talking, Geralt saves Jaskier, Jaskier breaks his lute, Jaskier saves Geralt, M/M, Monster - Freeform, Necrophage, One Shot, Soft Geralt, Soft Jaskier | Dandelion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:41:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22367332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halevetica/pseuds/Halevetica
Summary: Jaskier saves Geralts life, but his precious lute pays the price. Geralt surprises him with a new one.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 14
Kudos: 567





	Worth it

It wasn't like Geralt hadn't stared death in the face before. In fact, it was almost a daily occurrence. However, Jaskier was rarely so close and within striking distance. That sent a whole new sense of fear through Geralt that he rarely felt. His own life was doomed to end by the claws of a drowner or the teeth of a nekker. But Jaskier, his life was meant to end with his hair greyed from age and his voice hoarse from years of singing. His hands brittle with arthritis due to holding his precious lute. Not by bleeding out due to some necrophage.

Currently two Alghouls were stalking their way towards Jaskier with intent to take him down. The bard was backed against the crypt wall, his eyes darting for something to ward them off, but there was nothing.

Geralt pulled his blade from his freshly skewered monster and leapt forward. With a wide swipe, he managed to at least pull the attention away from his helpless friend. The blade slashing across thick hide on their backs.

"Go," Geralt ordered, praying that by some miracle the stubborn bard would listen to the Witcher for once in his life.

The Alghouls lunged at Geralt, taking heavy swipes at his already torn and battered armor. One managed to sink his claws into Geralt's shoulder, earning a hiss of pain. The other took a bite out of the other arm, getting mostly armor but still managing to scrape his teeth through Geralt's flesh.

Jaskier, seeing the monsters getting the best of Geralt, panicked. He couldn't leave his friend behind. He wouldn't. He could practically hear Geralt's reprimands for what he was about to do, but he didn't care. Searching for any kind of weapon and finding none in the desolate crypt, he pulled the lute from where it hung across his back.

With the wild fury of a tiny man holding a wooden instrument, he ran towards the beast. It stood like a large dog, on all fours. Only instead of his head coming to a man's thigh, it reached near the shoulder and where fur would be was taught skin, tough as an alligator. It's back was lined with spikes and it's teeth were sharp as razor blades.

Lifting the lute high above his head, Jaskier heaved with all his might. The small wooden instrument came crashing down with a pathetic whine as it splintered over the head of one of the Alghouls.

With a snarl it turned, lashing out angrily at the bard.

Jaskier leapt back with a yelp.

The distraction gave Geralt just enough time to drive his blade through the other Alghoul.

Jaskier scurried back away from the oncoming monster, tripping over the first one Geralt had killed in the process.

Just as the monster rose his large claw to swipe at Jaskier, he sheltered his face, squeezing his eyes shut.

A sickening thwack sounded, causing Jaskier to look up just in time to see the large head of the best slide from it's shoulders.

The bard let out a horrified "ugh," as he pulled away, avoiding the severed head as it thudded to the ground.

Suddenly a large hand was in his face.

Jaskier looked up to see Geralt offering to help him up.

"That was a close one," Jaskier puffed a sigh of relief as he took Geralt's hand.

The Witcher pulled the bard up and into his chest so their faces were unnecessarily close. "I told you to go," He growled out.

"I just saved your arse, I believe thanks is in order," Jaskier swallowed but kept his stance confident.

Geralt only grunted in response before letting go of his friend.

"Oh," Jaskeir instantly scooped up the remnants of his lute that lay broken and shredded.

"You shouldn't have done that," Geralt frowned at the obviously devastated bard.

"You were in trouble," Jaskier shrugged, slinging the splintered wood over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"It took me ages to afford this. She's served me well. I'm not gonna leave her behind with these monsters. I'll try and fix her up. She'll never play the same of course but she'll be a fond memory."

Geralt could see the sadness in Jaskier's eyes as he spoke. His music was his life. Losing such a precious part of him must be hard.

Geralt wanted to offer some kind words, some sort of solace but he was no good at that sort of thing. But he had to try. Jaskier had just saved his life. If he hadn't gotten the second Alghoul's attention, he'd have been in serious trouble.

"I'm not worth it," Is what came out though.

"What?" Jaskier blinked up at him.

"You ruined your lute to help me. I'm not worth it," Geralt's tone was gruff, and a slight frown sat on his features.

"You're worth it to me," Jaskier shrugged again. He situated his broken lute on his shoulder before heading towards the exit of the crypt, leaving Geralt gaping after him.

-

Jaskier had a tankard turned up when a gentle clang on the table, startled him. He'd been waiting for Geralt to return from collecting his reward for the now cleared out Alghouls when he decided to drink away some of the misery he felt. He'd destroyed his one true love. Without a lute he was just a voice.

He set down his drink to see a brand-new lute had been literally dropped in front of him. His blue eyes went wide. He knew this craftmanship. It was one of the finest around.

"Is that a lute made by Valavin Dekken?" Jaskier reached out, his fingers grazing the deep mahogany grains of the sleek wood before reaching the taught strings.

"These strings are..." Jaskier trialed off.

"For once in your life, you're speechless. If I'd have known, I'd have done this sooner," Geralt snorted, before taking a large swig of his own tankard.

"Wait, you bought this?" Jaskier looked at Geralt, only now processing the situation. He'd been too enthralled with the beautiful instrument.

"I owed you one," Geralt grumbled around his cup.

"This is too much, Geralt. This is...do you know what this is? This is..."

"The lute you talk about non stop," Geralt finished for him, hoping to shut the human up.

Jaskier rose his brows at the Witcher. So he did listen.

"How did you afford this? It's not cheap and did you use what you made off the Alghouls? You shouldn't have done that. How much did you get for them? You were only meant to get-"

"Jaskier," Geralt cut the bard off.

"Huh?"

"Shut up and do what you do best," Geralt nodded towards the front of the tavern where Jaskier would normally have been performing by now.

The bard's eyes lit up as he snatched the new lute from the table. "Thank you, Geralt."

Jaskier gave the Witcher a look that often made him wonder if the potions had truly stripped him of any emotion at all.

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't planning on writing for this fandom, but a dear friend asked me to write this so I did. I wasn't going to post it, but here I am....lol enjoy!


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